What would I change? Swap in one of Kia’s
excellent diesels they sell in Europe

How would I spec it? I’d get the more
refined and fun-to-drive Optima SX Turbo

Thank
high fuel prices and stricter government-mandated fuel economy ratings for
today’s variety of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. Once limited to being
quirky little cars when they arrived in the late 1990s (think first-gen Toyota
Prius or Honda Insight), hybrids now come in all shapes and sizes, including
family sedans like this 2015 KiaOptima.

When it
was introduced for 2011, the mid-size, five-passenger, front-wheel-drive Optima sedan was one of the first
signals that Kia was becoming
a serious contender to more established automakers. Stylish, feature-laden, and
well made with excellent road manners, topline gas-engine Optimas have become
legitimate alternatives to low-end versions of the entry-level luxury/sport
sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

The
hybrid version of the Optima
arrived in late 2011, and it quickly found favour with buyers. Combined with
sales of its Hyundai Sonata Hybrid platform-mate, the two family sedans ranked
only behind the Toyota Prius in the hybrid sales race for 2011 in the U.S.

In
2013, a new electric motor added more horsepower. Combined with a 2.4-litre
four-cylinder gas engine, output rose to 199 horsepower, and a higher-capacity
lithium-polymer battery pack pumped the torque rating up to 235 pound-feet. The
bigger battery also allowed for the Optima Hybrid to be driven up to 100
kilometres per hour in full electric mode via its six-speed automatic
transmission. Then, for 2014, the Kia hybrid sedan
received a slight design update, with new LED running lights and tail lights
and front-end styling that was said to improve aerodynamics.

As you
might expect, Kia
has priced its 2015 Optima Hybrid competitively with rivals like its Sonata
partner as well as hybrid versions of the Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion sedans.
Well-equipped (highlighted by a multi-functional, leather-wrapped steering
wheel, power driver’s seat, heated front seats and side mirrors, rear-view
camera and Kia’s UVO infotainment system) base model Optima Hybrids start at $31,630
(all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees). My Optima Hybrid
tester was the topline, $38,230 EX Premium model. Going that route adds a bunch
of goodies including a larger infotainment touchscreen, navigation, leather
seats (that can be cooled and heated up front), rear parking sensors, plus a
full suite of safety kit including blind-spot detection.

All of
that ongoing engineering work has resulted in the Optima Hybrid posting fuel
economy estimates of 6.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.7 on the
highway. During my week in the Kia sedan, at the tail end of a long and cold
winter, I saw an indicated 7.4 L/100 km. But in a previous test in warmer
weather, I recorded a 6.5 L/100 km average, which is pretty respectable for a
mid-sized sedan.

Compared
to the $26,190 Optima LX’s 192-hp naturally aspirated 2.4L gas engine (10.2
L/100 km city; 6.9 highway) and $36,290 SX Turbo’s 274-hp, 2.0L turbocharged
gas-four (11.7 city; 7.7 highway) the Hybrid is obviously the Optima to buy if you want to
burn less fossil fuel. But with gas versions of the new, second-generation 2016
Optima set to go on sale later this fall, we don’t expect the hybrid versions
until well into 2016. So if you’re in the market for a hybrid family sedan,
should you wait until then or consider a 2015 model now?

The
answer to this depends on what your priorities are.

From
what I saw of the pre-production 2016 models at the New York Auto Show, the
interior of the forthcoming 2016 Optima is more about refinement than
revolution. I’ve always liked the current Optima’s
driver-oriented interior design and ergonomics. My top-rung EX Premium model
saw leather applied thoughtfully to all the surfaces the driver touches on a
regular basis. And the stitched, padded dashboard and massive UVO touchscreen
infotainment make the family sedan feel more luxurious than its price suggests.

However,
where I am hoping Kia will make more progress with the next Optima Hybrid is
with its limited cargo capacity (caused by the battery pack in the trunk)
compared to the gas versions, and how its gas-electric system behaves on the
road.

The
interaction between the Kia’s hybrid bits — toggling between the electric and
gas modes and the regenerative braking system — show the automaker’s lack of
hybrid powertrain experience. Starting off from a stop, there’s a slight
hesitation from the Optima Hybrid’s engine department. And once underway, the
engine revs up then down a bit, without any indication of a change from the
speedometer. Weird.

Stopping
the Kia hybrid is also a
touchy affair. The regenerative braking system (which sends energy back to
charge the batteries), grabs too much when the brakes are initially applied at
lower spends. Once again, areas of refinement Toyota and Ford have already
nailed down. Once up to speed, though, the Optima offers a fine highway ride, with
an eerily quiet cabin.

As much
as I like the 2015 Optima Hybrid’s exterior and interior styling, and its
relatively parsimonious fuel economy, drivers may find its unrefined hybrid
bits off-putting. But knowing Kia’s relentless pursuit of improving, I’m
expecting big improvements with the next-gen Optima Hybrid.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Like a
desperate team in the final seconds, time was running out one afternoon in my
2015 KiaSoul EV.

Heading
home from a racetrack in South Florida, the remaining charge on the plug-in
electric Soul was shrinking by the minute. Five percent, it said. I looked down
a minute later: I flatlined the son-of-a-gun.

But the
Soul kept creeping along.
C'mon, two more miles! I reduced speed to 45 mph, shut off the air, and the icy
blue Kia Soul EV took its last breath in my driveway. Good thing, since a can
of gas on the roadside would have been worthless to me.

Such is
the life of an EV driver: Always know the battery's remaining charge and, more
important, where the next one is coming from. Fortunately, Kia's UVO communications
platform can tell you exactly where the nearest charging stations are.
Unfortunately, you'll need to find something to do while waiting for the
"fill-up." More on that momentarily.

The KiaSoul EV is the latest of the
plug-in electric vehicles to quietly hum down the road. And, to its credit, it
has greater range than most of them (EPA-estimated 93 miles) and more cargo
capacity, too.

Moving
the front-wheel-drive, 4-door hatchback down the road is an 81 kW motor that
delivers 109 hp and 210 pound-feet of torque - which is available right from
the get-go. The motor is energized by a 27 kWh (kilowatt hour) lithium ion
battery pack.

Keeping
that pack charged is your job and it takes a while - 24 hours for a full charge
- if you're plugging into conventional 120-volt household current. If you have,
or can find, 240-volt current, you can trim that time down to 5 hours.

And if
you're on a road trip (not highly recommended), you'd better keep an eye out
for Kia dealerships, where
you can usually find a 480-volt source that reportedly will pump you up to 80
percent in 33 minutes. A regenerative braking system also helps recharge the
battery whenever it decelerates - when is the last time you heard stop-and-go
driving is a good thing?

Since
most will plug in at home, it helps to have a garage to leave it in overnight.
Bright blue lights on top of the dash will monitor the charging and, while
parked in the driveway, it provided a light show on the front of my house - too
much attention. I figure it's just a matter of time before the charging cable,
which looks like a small fuel pump, goes missing.

On the
plus side, the flashing blue light makes it easy to glance out your bedroom
window and see how the charge is going.

The
cable, by the way, plugs neatly into a port behind a sliding panel in front of
the car. A second port accommodates the 480-volt supercharge.

The EPA
says the Soul EV
will use 32 kWh per 100 miles of travel, which is consistent with the rest of
the EV gang (think Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf).

So
what's this overgrown golf cart like to drive? Surprisingly nice. It's a quiet,
comfortable ride with just enough wind noise make you forget there's no
internal combustion engine. In other words, it's not overly quiet.

It
takes a leisurely 10 seconds to hit 60 - this ain't no Tesla - and don't get
daring in the passing lane. But once up to speed on the highway it holds a
steady, comfortable pace.

The EV
tranny has only one speed so there's no upshifting or downshifting issues.
Steering is short on feedback but the Soul has a nimble
feel. Handling is enhanced by the low-riding, heavy battery pack under
rear-seat floor.

On the
minus side, that battery pack robs rear-seat riders of some head and leg room.

But
there is still good cargo space, considering some battery packs steal that,
too. In the Soul, there are 18.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 49.5
cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Further, lift out the cargo floor
and it opens up another 11 cubic feet.

The
interior has the same quality materials found in the regular Soul plus a few touches of its
own, like white-gloss plastic trim around the shifter and its own instrument
grouping with big numerals showing the charge status. An 8-inch touchscreen
shows power flow and offers charging locations - just press on it and it'll
direct you to them.

Yet
some from the gas-engine Soul didn't make
the trip to the EV: no sunroof available, no xenon headlights and no power
seats. These are missing due to their battery-sapping desires.

The
five-seat Soul comes in two
trims, the base and Plus. The base gets 16-inch alloys wheels, auto headlights
and climate. Tech features include Bluetooth, 6-speaker audio with iPod/USB
interface and voice controls, navigation and rear-view camera (needed with this
boxy design).

Among
the added goodies in the Plus are leather seats, fog lights and parking
sensors.

Coming
in at approximately twice the price (without any credits applied), the Kia Soul
EV makes going green a little hard to digest. That's if you can come up with
one; the EVs are available only in California now, though Kia promises it will expand
to some but not all states.

But,
with 90-plus miles of range, running all the errands around town without
flat-lining the sucker should be an unpolluted breeze.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Kia has come on gangbusters in recent
years, the quality and refinement of its current cars has lifted it out of the
value-for-money rut in which it was once stuck. No longer are cars like the Sportage the ones you punt on when
you can't afford something better; they're now cars you can buy with confidence
and pride.

NEW

The
transformation of the Sportage,
Kia's compact SUV, was
complete with the launch of the third generation model in 2010.

As an
SUV that's going to be used around town the Sportage ticks all the boxes. It
rides high for a good view of the road, has sufficient cabin space to cart an
average family, and it has the rugged good looks that so appeals to today's
townies.

Being a
compact SUV the cabin is adequate rather than spacious, but it will carry five
adults, even if the centre rear passenger will find it a little squeezy. The
cabin is a pleasant place to be, the presentation is modern, the switches and
controls are well placed and easy to use.

Each of
the three models, from the base Si to the range-topping Platinum is well
equipped with just about everything you could want. Bluetooth was one omission,
but that was introduced in 2011.

The Si
entry model was two-wheel drive only and it came with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder
petrol engine and a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed sports-shifting
auto.

The SLi
and Platinum had on-demand all-wheel drive, there was a choice of 2.4-litre
four-cylinder petrol engine or 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, but the
only transmission you could have was the six-speed sports-shifting automatic.

On the
road the 2.0-litre engine was adequate rather than thrilling, and the economy
was average for the class. Being slightly more powerful the larger 2.4-litre
engine performed a little better, but it was the turbo-diesel that was the best
of the bunch with the strongest pull and the lowest consumption.

The
ride and handling was best suited to town roads where most Sportages will see
duty, but the on-demand all-wheel drive set-up is capable of handling bush
roads. It's not designed for heavy off-road use, and it is ultimately limited
by ground clearance and suspension travel.

NOW

Kia's quality has come on leaps
and bounds in recent years, which is reflected by the very low number of
complaints. Most owners we speak to say they are happy with their cars,
including the Sportage,
and would happily recommend them to prospective buyers.

While
there are few issues to report on the third generation Sportage it must be
emphasised that it is still very early in the overall lifespan of the model,
and it's always possible that issues could develop as the kays climb.

When
buying think of the road ahead and check for a service record that shows your
prospective purchase has been properly maintained. Servicing is the key to a
long and reliable life for any car, but it's even more important with today's
high-tech cars that are being built to ever tightening tolerances.

Kia specifies service intervals
of 15,000 km or 12 months, which is pretty much industry standard, but grizzled
old-timers would insist that's much too long. They would recommend intervals of
10,000 km.

The
good news is that all Kia
engines since 2010 have cam timing chains rather than pesky belts, so there's
no call for regular belt changes.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Al
Majid Motors Co., the sole distributor for KIA
cars in the UAE, has concluded its highly-acclaimed UAE KIARoadshow for 2015. During its
eight-week run, the popular automotive tour brought Kia’s range of SUVs, compact cars
and family sedans to eight major shopping malls and prime locations in
Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain.

“This
year’s KIARoadshow proved to be yet
another great success, having attracted more than 80,000 visitors keen to view
the Kia’s diverse range of
passenger vehicles. Such was the demand during the two-month itinerary that we
reached full occupancy for booked test drives,” said Mohammed Khader,
President, Al Majid Motors - KIA.

“Each
year, Al Majid Motors strives to make the KIARoadshow bigger and better to reflect
the excitement around new KIA models and each year this is reciprocated with
increased levels of interest from the region’s car lovers who recognise the
brand’s quality and value for money,” he added.

The KIARoadshow 2015
commenced at Lulu Mall, Fujairah on February 13th and finished at Manar Mall,
Ras Al Khaimah on April 3rd. During the event, Al Majid Motors Co. unveiled the
all-new KIA Grand Carnival CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle), which formed a
major attraction throughout the tour.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The switch
from bargain basement to upmarket quality has been an agreeable one for Korean car maker Kia.

Its
small car contender the Rio may
have been the model that propelled the brand up the path to UK recognition, but
it certainly isn't one for standing still.

A
philosophy of offering value-conscious buyers lots of car for their cash
remains, but in response to customer clamour you can now lay your hands on a car kitted out like a prestige
hatch - which in truth is exactly what the top grade Rio has become.

Four,
or more precisely 4, is the magic number that is attracting buyers keen on
downsizing without downgrading.

Flagship
trim Rio 4 buyers now have
the option of a 107bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine or the tested 89bhp 1.4 CRDi
turbodiesel, both with six-speed manual transmission and stop/start.

Kit
like full leather upholstery, a powered tilt/slide sunroof, heated steering
wheel and smart key are all part of the package.

What
you get with the Kia is a
fresh, modern car you can
really enjoy taking for a drive - whether that be a potter round town or a dash
down the motorway.

At
present there are 24 derivatives in both three and five-door style with prices
from $10,095, which represents proper value for money, up to $17,445.

And
while there's a coupe-like roofline, head, leg and shoulder room aren't
compromised though it can be tight in the back if the front seats need to be
slid fully back.

Stowage
for bottles and cans is everywhere, while you also get an iPod/USB connection,
durable seats and upholstery - important for the re-sale market further down
the line - 60/40 split-fold rear seats and a deep boot.